Circuits
by Sweet Cari
Summary: *Reposted and Rewritten* AU. When their mother falls ill, Tai and Kari take matters into their own hands and buy a robot servant to help out the family but can they truly bond with an artificial human?
1. A New Model

Author's Note: I was looking at my earlier post of this story and decided that it wasn't very good, so I decided to delete it and repost a new and better version. I hope you enjoy it.

**Circuits**

_A New Model_

Tai had always hated being confined within the interior walls of the hospital, and this time as he sat quietly in the waiting room was no exception.

Still, it reminded him of the past. Something that he wished had never taken place.

He shuddered, recalling how he had innocently taken his sister, Kari, outside with him to play despite her being sick with a cold, only for her to collapse from pneumonia. She was whisked away from the playground, fighting for her life while he faced the fury of his mother for his carelessness.

In an attempt to ignore the harsh memories, Tai quickly shifted his attention to his father and sister, both bearing expressions of worry and fear, for now it was Yuuko who lay powerless within the white rooms.

Tai sighed, his mind replaying the events which led the family to where they were now:

Just as the holidays were coming up, Yuuko's health started to deteriorate. Her exhaustion increased daily, which frequently left the apartment unclean and dinner unprepared.

Tai, Kari, and their father were baffled by this sudden change but when they questioned Yuuko about it, she merely blamed her tiredness on stress.

However, none of them were buying it.

Upon returning home from school one day, her children found her sprawled across the bedroom floor, unconscious but more alarmingly, thinner.

After calling an ambulance, Yuuko was rushed to the hospital. There, Tai and Kari found their father in the waiting room, calling off work after the hospital contacted him and had told him that his wife was undergoing several tests in order to pinpoint her diagnosis.

But waiting for said diagnosis did not settle their nerves.

Then, a doctor appeared and approached the Kamiyas, and asked for them to follow him where he led them into his office, closing the door.

Susumu couldn't take it anymore and bombarded the doctor with questions.

"How is she?! Did you find out what's wrong?! Will she be alright?!"

The doctor sighed, "Well, Mr. Kamiya, we did find out what was ailing your wife."

Susumu persisted, "And?"

"Her diagnosis is _terminal cancer_ and I'm afraid that chemotherapy will be of no use since the cancer has entered its final stage."

"T-terminal cancer?!" Tai repeated in utter shock.

Kari shook her head in denial.

"No, Mom can't be!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'CHEMOTHERAPY WILL BE OF NO USE'?!" Susumu shouted, "Surely you can do something!"

But the doctor shook his head.

"Surgery would only result in permanent damage to her body. However, you and your family are allowed to see her and bring her home."

Leaving the office, he took the distraught family to a hospital room with the number# 283.

"Here is her room," the doctor said, opening the door for them, "I'll let you have a moment with her."

They held back a gasp when their eyes fell on her form.

Yuuko was lying in bed, looking as white as the sheets, while wires were attached to her arms leading to various pumps; a tube was attached to her nose to enable easier breathing though she wheezed each time she took in air.

When she saw them, she managed to form a weak smile upon her lips as her family came closer to her bedside.

Tears formed in her husband's eyes, but he forced himself to be strong for his beloved.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Susumu whispered as he knelt down and took his wife's frail hand in his, "How could I have been so oblivious?"

Yuuko gazed sadly at her husband and turned her attention to her children, who were too devastated with shock to even speak.

"None of you are to blame for this," Yuuko answered weakly, "I was diagnosed with cancer years ago and I thought I had won when the disease went into remission, but those days are over and the cancer has returned with a vengeance."

"But Mom, there must be another way!" Kari said, her voice weakened by tears.

She suddenly felt Tai put a hand on her shoulder.

"That's just it, Kari. There _is_ no other way."

…

Many sad days passed by for the Kamiya family. With their mother completely bedridden, their father had been cutting hours from work to help take care of the apartment household, leaving him exhausted and stressful while their son and daughter could only watch helplessly.

Later one evening, Tai and Kari were discussing the situation that had befallen their parents.

"Tai, we've got to do something, Dad can't keep this up much longer or else he'll lose his job."

"I know Kari, both of us could stay out of school for a while to take care of Mom, but you know how Dad is about getting an education."

Just as Kari sighed in defeat, a sudden idea popped into her head.

"We could hire somebody, Tai!" she exclaimed, "They can help take care of Mom and Dad can keep his job!"

"Yeah, but caregivers charge on the hour," Tai protested, "Besides we don't have that kind of money."

"That's where you're wrong," said Kari said, pulling out a flashlight and a newspaper ad shining the light on it so that her brother could read the article.

It said: 'Odaiba Factory of Artificial Servants. They never ask for payments, just do as they are told. Sales are cut in half, shipping and handling already paid for! Starts Friday, three o'clock at noon.'

"Kari, that's tomorrow!" Tai stated, "We better get to bed so we can get done with school faster and be first in line!"

"I'm right behind you, Big Brother!"

…

The following Friday, the streets of Odaiba were bustling with eager costumers itching to buy their own personal robotic housemaid, however luck was on Tai and Kari's side and together, accompanied by the owner of the company himself, they entered the enormous factory.

"As you kids can see," the owner said, as the three walked along the hallway, displaying different types of robot workers, "I noticed how difficult help is to get without running into monetary problems, so in protest, I have created these wonderful machines!"

"They're so realistic!" exclaimed Tai in awe, "But my sister and I are looking for a caregiver, not a gardener."

"Hey Tai!" Kari cried, "I think I've found one!"

The bushy-haired teen turned and stared at the figure displayed inside the glass that Kari was pointing to.

It was a male android. He was slightly taller than Tai, with lily-white skin and locks of shiny blonde hair upon his scalp barely touching his shoulders, and was dressed in a white buttoned up long sleeved shirt covered with a black vest with a nametag on it, with matching black pants and shoes.

"I see you two have picked a new model," stated the owner as he observed the robot, "He is Model# 354 and the codename he responds to is **M-A-T-T**: **M**ale **A**rtificial **T**eenaged **T**utor or Matt for short.

"He'll do! How much does he cost?" Tai asked eagerly.

"You kids can name your price," replied the owner mysteriously, "and he's all yours."

Making a quick deal, the two siblings paid the man with him telling the two that the delivery would be ready by tomorrow and that the robot will be brought to their door, packaged in a large box.

Soon, the big day arrived as Tai and Kari started to open the box hastily and the moment the cardboard fell away from his body, the blonde servant came alive.

-To be continued…


	2. Necessary

Author's Note: First, I would like to thank crestoflight3 for being my first reviewer! But, I will warn that after this week, updates will be slower because I will be very busy with schoolwork!

**Circuits**

_Necessary_

The android's eyes slowly opened, revealing a multitude of colorful lights blinking and flashing in his irises but then, the lights faded out, leaving in their place a soft shade of blue. He blinked twice, and turned to face his new owners.

Despite being excited about the robotic caregiver, both Tai and Kari found themselves unable to break the odd silence that was growing between the three. That is, until Tai spoke up.

"H-hi…Matt," Tai said nervously, "My name's Tai Kamiya and this is my little sister, Kari Kamiya."

"I am at your service." Matt answered in a very polite manner.

Tai was taken aback by Matt's voice.

"Wow! I was expecting him to talk kind of like Andromon!"

"What's an Andromon?" asked Matt, stepping away from the floor of the cardboard box that he was standing on.

"Never mind."

Suddenly, there came a knock on the door. Matt started towards the door to answer it but Kari stopped him.

"Don't worry, Matt," she assured, "I'll answer it."

As she turned the knob, the short-haired brunette was surprised to see both generations of the Digidestined, except Mimi, standing outside the apartment door.

"Hi, Kari," T.K. said, "Mind if we come in?"

"Not at all," Kari replied, letting the group of eight inside the apartment, "Our mother's asleep, so please keep it down."

As Kari led them into the living room, they saw Tai coming to greet them.

"Sorry that you guys have to see how filthy the rooms are," Tai said, taking notice of dirty clothes lying on the nearby couch, "We really weren't expecting company today…Oh! Uh, Matt!"

The blonde servant appeared shortly after he was called.

"You called for me, sir?"

"Clean up the living room," ordered Tai, "it's a mess."

Matt nodded.

"Yes sir."

"Say, where did you guys get the butler?" Davis asked, observing Matt as he started to clean. "I wish I had one."

"Actually, Davis, he's not a butler," explained Kari, "He's an android."

The Digidestined almost shouted "WHAT?!" in complete astonishment if the two siblings haven't stopped them beforehand.

To be sure, Davis walked up to Matt and started knocking on his chest, his brown eyes widened with amazement when he heard the metal clang loudly against his fist.

"I advise that you don't do that, sir." But the goggle head ignored the robot's warning and continued.

"Davis, shhh!" Tai hissed through gritted teeth.

Davis stopped and grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, Tai."

"Prodigious!" exclaimed Izzy, "Whoever built him must have studied every known detail of human outward appearances! He's so life-like!"

"He could actually pass as an older brother for T.K.!" Yolei stated.

"Yeah, Yolei, but that's not why we're here." Cody reminded.

Joe nodded in agreement, "After you told us about your mother, we decided to help you two out as best we can."

Tai smiled. "Thanks, you guys."

…

Shortly after their friends left, Tai and Kari were amazed at how spotless the living room looked when Matt had finished cleaning, but then they heard their mother waking up.

"Mmmm…Tai…Kari…"

They were about to answer her when a sudden thought came to mind.

"What's Mom going to say when she sees Matt?" Kari asked worried, "And then there's Dad…"

"There's only one way to find out, Kari," replied the fifteen-year old, "We'll have to take that chance!"

"I thought I heard voices earlier…" Yuuko told them as they entered the bedroom, "Did your friends come over?"

"Yeah, Mom," Tai answered, "but they left a while ago."

Yuuko turned her tired gaze towards the open door where she saw Matt standing outside in the hallway.

She gave a panicked gasp.

"W-who's t-that?" Yuuko stammered, pointing at the doorway.

"That's Matt," Kari explained, "He's here to help us."

"Plus, he's an android too! It's okay, Mom," Tai assured his frightened mother, "he's not gonna hurt us. Matt, could you come here?"

The robot nodded and came forward, standing in between Tai and Kari, getting a better look at the frail woman.

"Are you Mrs. Kamiya?" Matt asked in a calm voice.

"I-I am…" Yuuko answered timidly.

"Please don't be frightened of me, ma'am."

She averted her gaze at her children.

"Where did he come from? I need to know…"

Tai took in a deep breath, "Kari and I bought him from the Artificial Servants factory with our own money yesterday."

Kari spoke up. "We did it so that you could have someone to take care of you, Mom."

"I don't know how your father will handle this when he finds out," Yuuko sighed, "but I understand why you both made this choice."

Yuuko looked back up at Matt, this time without a hint of fear in her eyes but acceptance.

"Could you make some soup for me, Matt?"

The blonde android nodded and headed into the kitchen.

…

The soup was almost ready when Susumu came into the apartment.

"I'm home!" he said, and then he caught a whiff of somebody cooking.

"Tai, is that you who's cooking?"

No reply.

"Kari?"

No answer.

Following the smell into the kitchen, Susumu was quite startled to see neither one of his children but Matt stirring a pot of soup and he furiously confronted the robot servant.

"Who are you?" he demanded angrily, "And what are you doing here in my home?!"

Matt stopped and looked up at the taller man, "I assume that you are Mr. Kamiya, correct?"

Hearing their dad's angry voice, Tai and Kari rushed into the kitchen.

"Dad, you're home early?" Kari exclaimed.

"Just who is this?!" Susumu questioned.

Like they told their mother earlier, Tai and Kari explained Matt's origin again to their father. However, Susumu was less-than-thrilled about having a robot in the apartment.

"Take him back."

Both were caught off guard. "What?"

"I said take him back," said Susumu in a firm tone, "I'm not letting this…this machine worm into this family as it is! And I'm very disappointed of the both of you!"

"Mr. Kamiya, I have no such intentions," Matt stated, "I live to serve and obey."

"Then get out."

"No, Dad!" Kari begged, "Please let him stay!"

"I know that you're mad at us for buying him in the first place," added Tai, "but give Matt a chance, please?"

"Would you do it for Mom's sake?" pleaded Kari.

Susumu paused. Ever since her release from the hospital, Yuuko had not been getting the proper care that she needed and her health continued to weaken. He and his children tried to do it themselves but that proved to be unsuccessful. Also, cutting hours of work would result in him eventually getting fired.

Then, his expression softened. Maybe, an artificial caregiver was exactly what the family needed.

"Alright," he said, turning to the blonde, "you can stay, Matt."

"Thank you, sir."

With that, Matt turned and poured some soup into a bowl. Susumu watched as Matt walked into the bedroom and offered it to his wife, who accepted it.

…

For the next few weeks, Matt had proved to be necessary to the Kamiyas: The apartment was always spotless, Yuuko was better cared for, and Tai and Kari were passing their school subjects with flying colors.

But one day, Matt found Kari working on one particular school project.

"What are you working on, Miss Kari?"

"Oh, hi, Matt!" she exclaimed, "I'm adding the finishing touches to an essay."

"Do you need any help?" he asked.

"Not really," replied Kari, "this is actually one of the teacher's more lenient tasks. We're studying European fairy tales in my class and I've picked The Little Mermaid. In the original story, the mermaid wished to gain an immortal soul as well as love. Though mermaids live much longer than humans, they turn into sea foam when they die and cease to exist."

Matt sighed, "That sounds exactly how an android is with 'life'."

Kari raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that, Matt?"

"Before I was put on display," he began, "I was put through a test run, to see if every part of me worked properly as part of an experiment. But, there was another, a maid android that was being tested along with me as well. She suddenly started to malfunction; the humans testing her tried shutting her off but her power was out of control as she became more and more unstable. Then the mechanics inside of her exploded, and she stopped."

"What did they do to the maid after that, did they try to fix her?"

"No, ma'am," Matt confirmed, "They dismantled her immediately and threw her away, muttering 'Reject' as they went to test out another android."

"And you witnessed all of that?" Kari whispered.

He nodded.

Kari was appalled learning the true nature of the factory, wanting only profit and wasting what could have been fixed as good as new.

It made her stomach turn with disgust.

She heard Matt sigh again, and Kari thought she heard a hint of sadness in his artificial voice.

-To be continued…


	3. Lingering

Author's Note: Here's a quick chapter in time for Labor Day weekend and I give a big thank you to crestoflight3 for reviewing!

**Circuits**

_Lingering_

For the next several days, Kari couldn't shake off what Matt had told her. It just hovered over her head like a gray cloud, raining the android's words down on her.

_To be rendered useless just because it was defective and tossed out like garbage. _Kari bit her lip at the thought.

It seemed like such a cruel act to be seeking only perfection rather than focusing on what could have been improved.

At school, T.K. and Davis found themselves unable to cheer the girl up, whether it was a simple greeting or a compliment on her grades. Back at home was not much different, though Tai persisted to find out what was bugging his sister and despite his best efforts, Kari refused to talk.

"I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong, Kari!" Tai said in a frustrated tone. "And I'm tired of guessing…"

Instead of responding, Kari turned away from her brother and went into her room, closing the door from behind.

Tai groaned in defeat.

"Whatever the problem might be," he muttered darkly to himself, "It **better** not involve Davis or T.K."

...

Kari plopped onto her bed, sighing wearily.

_I want to tell Tai…but I'm not sure what he'd say._

She then heard a beeping noise coming from her D-Terminal and she quickly opened it.

"It's from T.K. and the others."

Reading the message, it said they had noticed her downcast demeanor and suggested that they should pay a visit to the Digital World together tomorrow afterschool.

She paused.

_I haven't been to the Digital World since we got rid of Myotismon for good! _

Following the vampire's demise, Gennai managed to remove the Dark Spores from the children that MaloMyotismon had gathered as Oikawa and sent them back to the Real World with no recollection of what they had witnessed, which affected countless others, including the Digidestined's parents, who had seen the Digimon. And with peace restored to the Digital World once again, each of the partnered Digimon worldwide decided to stay behind permanently to prevent further exposure of their home.

_It was hard to say goodbye again, but Gennai said that the memory loss was to protect the Digital World from another imbalance._

Recalling her mind illusion, she came across another memory of the battle.

_But then again, Davis was right; you don't need a Digimon to be special. _

Having made up her mind, Kari quickly replied back with a 'Yes.'

…

Arriving in the Digital World, the younger Digidestined were welcomed with open arms by their Digimon partners but Gatomon immediately noticed Kari's pessimism.

"Why so glum, Kari?" asked the white feline.

The Bearer of Light hesitated, "I'll tell you once we're alone."

Holding Gatomon tightly in her arms, she joined up with the other Digidestined.

Catching up on old times, both humans and their Digimon partners talked about one thing after another but only Kari sat quietly as she listened.

As the other five continued to converse, Kari recalled her first time in the Digital World. Despite being the seventh child of the original group, something about the team was still incomplete. It stayed this way until Davis became a Digidestined, revealing a new quality to the team: Friendship. She snapped out of her thoughts when a sudden argument broke out between Davis and Yolei about the mind illusions.

"I can't believe that your greatest desire was to eat sweets!" Davis blurted out.

Yolei scoffed, "What's wrong about liking desserts, Davis?"

"Nothing," replied the goggle head smugly, "but fixing computers doesn't burn the calories!"

"It's just an illusion," Ken told the two, "MaloMyotismon created it, not Yolei."

T.K. and Cody pitched in to help Ken calm them down but to no avail, allowing Kari to sneak off unnoticed with Gatomon.

"So, Kari, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about privately?" Gatomon asked once they were out of range.

"Well," Kari began, "It goes like this…"

…

Once Kari had finished speaking, Gatomon looked up at her human partner with wide eyes.

"I'm not sure what to think about your android," the champion cat admitted, "But the humans who built him sound just like Myotismon when I was under his service."

The Bearer of Light shuddered.

"In what way?"

"Myotismon destroys those who fail to obey his commands," Gatomon explained, "More or less; he eliminates the weak in favor of the strong."

They both became sad as the memory of Wizardmon's sacrifice resurfaced; knowing too well that his spirit would remain forever lingering in the Real World never to find rest.

"We better go back." Kari said, her voice quivering a bit, "Before the others find out we're gone."

Gatomon nodded. "I'm with you."

…

After her visit to the DigiWorld, Kari began to feel a little better after speaking with Gatomon. When she returned home, she saw Matt cooking dinner for the family while her brother lay on the living room couch, tossing a soccer ball in the air.

"Matt gave Mom her food and medicine a few minutes ago." Tai said as she walked inside and then he stopped tossing the ball and set it on the couch as he got up.

Looking into her brother's eyes, Kari knew that this time, Tai wasn't going to take no for answer.

"Alright, Tai," she stated, "I'm ready to talk to you."

"I already know," he replied, "Matt told me when I asked him about you. Kari, you shouldn't let stuff get to you like that. I know that you're upset about what Matt told you…"

"But, Tai-"

Just as the Bearer of Courage opened his mouth to answer her back, a harsh coughing came from their parents' bedroom.

"MOM!"

Immediately, they ran into the room, in hopes of aiding their mother.

Their jaws dropped at the sight.

Yuuko's complexion was completely drained of life; her pale skin had taken on a pasty shade of gray. There were dark rings under her eyes and she was gasping for air as she coughed.

It was too much for them to bear.

"Matt, come here quick!" Tai called out desperately.

Hearing the urgency in his owner's voice, the android quickly turned off the eyes of the stove and hurried into the room.

"What's wrong?" Matt asked.

"I-it's Mom!" Tai answered in a shaky voice, but after those words left his lips he could say no more.

Tears welled up in Kari's eyes and she buried her face into her brother's chest as she sobbed.

Matt calmly took one look at the ailing woman and confirmed the siblings' worst fear.

"Your mother needs emergency treatment."

Almost at once, Tai dialed for an ambulance while Matt tried to ease Yuuko's breathing. And again, Yuuko was rushed into the emergency room.

Matt accompanied Tai and Kari on the ambulance to the hospital, where the three sat in the waiting room.

A short time later, Susumu arrived and joined them.

For over an hour they waited as the silence of dread deafened every noise on the first floor. Then, the same doctor came and motioned them to follow him. Walking down the white corridors, the doctor led them outside the doors of the emergency room.

"Will she pull through?" Susumu asked hopefully. "Will she?"

The doctor's expression turned grim.

"Mr. Kamiya," he said, "your wife is dying."

His answer dropped like a bombshell on the Kamiya family but Susumu couldn't believe what he'd just heard.

"I don't understand!" he cried, "I thought she was getting better with the medications you prescribed!"

But instead of replying, the doctor only shook his head.

"We're keeping her alive through life support but I don't think that your wife has much time left."

He opened the doors, and brought them to an ICU room where the nurses were keeping her.

After ordering Matt to wait outside, Susumu and his children came into the room.

The slow beating of a heart monitor greeted their ears, as they neared Yuuko's bedside.

Tears were forming in their eyes, knowing now that this was their final moment as a family.

Yuuko silently wept as she saw the pain and despair etched onto their faces but she forced herself to smile.

Susumu was too choked with sadness to speak to his wife, so he bent down by the bed, holding a firm but gentle hold on her hand, stroking it with his thumb.

"I'm…so happy…Susumu…" she said in a faint whisper, "that…I was able to share my love…with you…"

She turned to her children, "And I'm…so proud of our son and daughter…"

Yuuko stopped and closed her eyes.

And the heart monitor's beating ceased with her last breath.

Outside the door, Matt could hear the family grieving as their mournful cries echoed on in the room. He hung his head as he listened to his owners' tears, brushing his fingers against his metallic chest, precisely where a human heart would lie.

-To be continued…


	4. Somber

Author's Note: First off, I'm really sorry to hear about your friend's loss, crestoflight3, I hope that he's doing okay. Thank you for reviewing along with Login Later too. Second, I'm extremely sorry for the lack of updating. I've been fretting about homework and then my finals but now that's over, I can finally get back to my writing.

**Circuits**

_Somber_

The drive back home from the hospital was in utter silence. Though the Kamiyas knew that little could be done to prevent Yuuko's eventual demise, now, it felt surreal. As if it was just a dream.

Upon entering the apartment, Susumu picked up the phone and began preparing the funeral arrangements for his wife while Tai ushered his distraught sister to her room.

Matt stood solemnly, watching his owners' displays of grief. Watching Tai and Kari leave, he turned to Susumu, waiting to be given a command.

Halfway through the conversation with the funeral director, Susumu took notice of Matt and stopped briefly.

"What do you want, Matt?" he asked in a weak voice.

"Is there something that you want me to do, Mr. Kamiya?"

Rather than answering, Susumu could only stare at the robot. As he continued to look into Matt's glass eyes, thoughts began to stir from within Susumu's mind:

Yuuko is dead. Matt was supposed to provide and care for her.

And Matt could have prevented her death.

These thoughts became mingled with feelings of anger towards the artificial blonde.

_What's my family to do now? _Susumu thought bitterly, _my children will have to grow up without a mother to nurture them and I…_

He narrowed his eyes darkly at Matt.

_You…_

"Mr. Kamiya, sir?" Matt asked, "Is something wrong?"

Just as he was about to lash out at the android, the funeral director's voice on the phone broke the hold over the distraught man.

"Mr. Kamiya! I can't wait any longer! There are five calls that are waiting for me to answer!"

Susumu immediately apologized as he resumed his plans for his late wife after he quickly ordered Matt go and to check on Tai and Kari.

As Matt walked down the hallway, he could hear the siblings in mourning. Nearing towards the door of the room, he noticed that it was slightly ajar but was able to observe the Kamiya children undetected.

From inside the room, Matt could see Tai sitting on the bed, with Kari sobbing hard into her brother's lap while he gently stroked her hair.

"Why?" her muffled voice asked multiple times, "W-why did Mama h-have to d-die?!"

Tai couldn't answer, for he too was asking 'why' as well. But all he could do for his little sister now was to comfort her in their hour of darkness.

Matt turned his gaze towards Tai. Though the older boy was not weeping, his eyes were red from the tears that he had shed for his mother. Slowly he backed away from the scene, allowing the siblings to grieve in private.

…

Not long after, the day came for Yuuko's funeral.

As the family prepared to leave, Susumu ordered Matt to stay behind.

Though Matt obeyed, Kari was outraged by her father's request.

While their father was making last minute decisions with the arrangements, Tai and Kari waited for the others to arrive at the funeral home, but Kari was unable to keep her anger bottled up any longer.

"Why wouldn't he let Matt come with us?!" she demanded.

"I'm mad about it too, Kari but I think it's because Matt's not a part of the family." Tai replied.

"But he cared for Mom in her final weeks before she died!" protested Kari, angry tears running down her face.

Before Tai could retaliate, they were greeted by their fellow Digidestined, including Mimi, and their families.

"Oh, Tai, Kari," Sora began as she brushed away some stray tears, "I, all of us, are so, so sorry for what happened."

"W-we wished that we could've done m-more to h-help." T.K. added, fighting back the growing lump in his throat.

Davis nodded solemnly in agreement.

Tai and Kari smiled sadly.

"There's no one to be blamed for it," Tai said, "and Kari and I appreciate everything."

"We better hurry, Tai," Kari stated, "the funeral's about to start!"

Following the final prayers and eulogies, Tai and Kari could only stare as their mother's coffin slowly descended into the earth, leaving behind only a headstone as the last part of her identity.

…

It was late in the evening, when the Kamiyas arrived back to their apartment. They didn't seem to notice Matt when they walked past him into the kitchen where their dinner had been freshly made.

They ate in silence and when they were finished, left the blonde android to clean up afterwards as the three immediately headed for bed.

As night fell, Matt sat alone on the living room couch, watching the mounted clock while its hands moved in the darkness.

Giving a low sigh, he turned his attention to the slide glass door nearby.

Getting up and opening it, Matt looked down from the balcony towards the city, gazing at the bright lights shining below.

"You couldn't sleep, Miss Kari?" he asked before turning around to face the young girl.

"No, I couldn't." Kari responded sadly, walking towards the balcony to join him, "Not after all that's happened. And my dad wouldn't let you come with us to say goodbye…"

Matt lowered his head, avoiding Kari's hurt expression and looked up towards the night sky.

"I did all that I could do to help your mother. And your father decided that it was best if I stayed behind."

Kari didn't answer as her tear-rimmed eyes gazed upon the stars, calmly glowing amidst the bluish black shades of darkness.

"Aren't the stars beautiful tonight, Matt?"

"Yes ma'am, they are."

"They seem so close," Kari said, "and yet they're always out of reach…"

Then her cheer quickly became somber.

"Just…like...Mom."

She hung her head and closed her eyes, feeling the tears run down her cheeks at the tender memories of her mother.

"Is she really that far away?"

Kari's eyes opened, taken off guard by Matt's simple question.

"It's very interesting that stars are thousands of miles away and yet people can still see them," Matt continued, "maybe, it's not that different."

"W-what's not that different?" Kari asked, wiping away her tears.

"The bond that you share with your mother." replied Matt.

The short-haired girl stared at the android with awe. Somehow, his statement made sense to her. Though her mother was no longer with the family didn't mean that she was gone forever.

Kari smiled warmly as she felt a sense of comfort pour over her,

"Thank you, Matt. That means so much to me."

"You're welcome, ma'am," he responded, "Why don't we head back inside?"

Kari nodded, "Yes, it's getting pretty cold out here."

As Matt escorted the young girl back into the apartment, he took one more look out towards the sky before shutting the glass door.

And there, hidden amongst the stars, was a faint streak of light soaring across the sky just before it faded out into the darkness.

-To be continued…


	5. Failure

Author's Note: I'm really glad to know that your friend's doing well, crestoflight3 and I thank both you and Aveza for reviewing.

**Circuits**

_Failure_

The morning came, but its gentle rays marked a new beginning for the Kamiya family. Now, they must continue on with their lives without a mother or wife.

Although Kari was hesitant about the new lifestyle that she was about to have, her talk with Matt the previous night seemed to have eased her anxiety.

However, Tai wasn't coping as well with their mother's loss. He was still asking 'why?' and was growing irritable with himself, unable to find the answer.

"He's not doing well," Sora sighed, watching her childhood friend storm off to the soccer field to practice afterschool, "I don't understand…Tai seems like a different person now since Mrs. Kamiya's funeral…If only Tai would just tell us what's wrong, maybe we could help him."

"That's just the problem, Sora," Izzy stated, "Tai doesn't want help. At least, not at the moment…"

Unbeknownst to them, Yuuko's death coincided with another tragic event in Tai's life that had almost happened.

Kari's near-death experience, thanks to him.

…

Down at the field after the rest of his teammates left for home, Tai stayed behind and kept practicing, until he at last decided to take a break.

Sitting down in the cool grass, regaining his breath, he pulled out his digivice to check the time.

"Eight P.M.?! I've should've quit three hours ago!"

Despite his exhaustion, Tai quickly grabbed his things and ran at a fast pace towards home.

_Dad's gonna kill me if he finds out! _

After sneaking back into the apartment successfully, Tai saw Matt vacuuming the living room floor.

"Back from soccer practice?" the artificial blonde asked, setting the vacuum level down on low so that his owner could hear him.

"Yeah," replied Tai, pulling off his sneakers, "Has my dad come home already?"

"No sir, but your sister called your friends when you didn't come back from school."

"I see," said the bushy-haired teen, "I'll let her know that I'm here."

"You don't have to tell me."

The older boy turned and saw Kari in the kitchen nearby, getting out a plate of food ready to reheat for her brother.

Tai didn't know where to start as he left Matt to approach his sister.

"Kari…I…Y-you didn't have to…"

"Didn't have to what?" she questioned.

"You know that I can take care of myself," he quickly responded, "I just got a little carried away with my soccer playing and lost track of time."

Kari studied her brother's expression, completely unconvinced. She knew that Tai was hiding something despite what he just told her, but he showed no signs of hesitation.

"Okay, Tai, I believe you. Just don't do it again, okay?"

"You've got nothing to worry about, Sis!" he assured, "'Cause it won't!"

…

Unfortunately, Tai habitually continued to practice soccer until past evening for almost a week. It was slowly turning into an addiction rather than a hobby for the former goggle head, in attempt to escape from the memories of the past as well as the present.

But his efforts were in vain.

His little sister had been put in his care because Yuuko trusted him and she would take pride in her eldest son's responsibilities. Until he unwittingly made Kari's illness worse, putting her in a critical state.

He could still hear his mother's angry voice just as he had that fateful day in the hospital.

"_TAI! Do you have any idea what you've __**done**__?!"_

Tai cringed, biting his lip.

He made a low sweep and kicked but the ball missed the goal.

The Bearer of Courage gritted his teeth and tried again.

But the soccer ball stopped short halfway across the field, next to a familiar pair of black shoes.

Tai looked up. "What are you doing here, Matt?" he asked in-between breaths.

"Your sister's very worried about you, sir," answered Matt, walking towards his owner, "She asked me to check on you."

Tai didn't answer and went to try out another ball, ignoring the cyborg.

Suddenly, he stopped short, raising a hand to his left cheek.

"_What could __**you**__ have been thinking, you knew she was sick!"_

"Sir, is something the matter?"

Hearing Matt's voice snapped Tai out of it and he turned around, staring at the robot. Seeing the calm, blank expression that was always plastered on Matt's face only seemed to boil Tai's frustration.

_How could he,_ Tai thought, _an android, possibly understand?_

Tai tore his gaze away from Matt's and focused on the untouched soccer ball. But the sense of lifelessness that the ball possessed retriggered the memories that the Bearer of Courage had been desperately fighting. He felt a strong wave of guilt sweep over him, and fell to knees.

"Are you feeling alright, sir?" Matt asked.

The reply came in a low, whisper. "No…I'm not…This is just like before…"

"What do you mean by 'before'?"

With a weary sigh, Tai explained to Matt about how Kari had nearly succumbed to pneumonia as a small girl due to his carelessness and how the event continued to haunt him whenever she fell ill.

"In your defense, sir," Matt said, "the event could've been avoided if Mrs. Kamiya had stayed with your sister rather than leave her by herself."

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IT?!" Tai snapped, immediately standing up. "What difference would it have made?!"

Matt lowered his head, not answering.

The bushy-haired teen calmed down once more. "Now that Mom's dead, I feel as though I was responsible for letting her disease take her life, just like I almost allowed Kari to die…"

"I-I couldn't protect them!" he cried out suddenly, "I've become… such a failure to my own family!"

With that, Tai buried his face in his hands and wept, recalling Kari's words as well as his mother's as she was dying.

"You haven't failed your family."

Tai lifted his head away from his tear-stained palms, stunned.

"What do y-you mean, Matt? How h-have I n-not failed?"

"Despite what had happened, your sister still holds you in very high regards as an older sibling." Matt explained. "And Mrs. Kamiya trusted that you would continue to protect and guide Miss Kari when she couldn't be there, even now."

"Y-you're right," Tai added with realization, "Mom and Kari forgave me…because they love me…a-and they still do!"

Then it hit Tai.

_What have I been doing? I've been running away from my past fears instead of facing them…I've given up before I even started. I'm so worried about how I failed my sister before that I'm starting to fail her now._

_But I won't anymore._

"Say, Matt," Tai declared, "Let's go home, I think I've practiced enough."

Matt nodded in reply.

As the two left the field, Tai felt a renewed strength pumping through him, allowing him to look towards the future without fear but with courage.

-To be continued…


	6. Culprit

Author's Note: Happy New Year everyone! Here I go with another update before school takes up most of my time again. And again, thank you, Aveza and crestoflight3 for reviewing!

**Circuits**

_Culprit_

A month had passed since Yuuko's passing, and though her children found the strength to move on, Susumu, on the other hand, still mourned.

Back at his apartment home, he gave orders to Matt without directly facing the robot, but Matt's expressionless face could still be pictured and the android's presence only sickened the man further. And now he could only watch as Tai and Kari's relationship with their robotic caregiver grew stronger which also fueled the anger in his heart.

At work, the memories of his wife played over and over again in his head like a broken record but each one ended with only one figure in mind:

Matt.

_My wife is dead. _He thought bitterly, ignoring the paperwork that was sprawled out on his desk, _And now that…that…machine is taking her place!_

_Tai and Kari are getting too close to that __**monster**__. No, it's brainwashing them! I've got to end this before it's too late for the both of my children, for Yuuko's sake!_

He stood up, quickly writing a note for his boss and left his office.

…

Before Tai and Kari left for school that morning, they ordered Matt to do the laundry and by noon, Matt had completed his task. While he was folding the dried clothes, Matt heard the door click open. When he arrived, the blonde cyborg saw Susumu, looming over him with a dark look.

"Mr. Kamiya," Matt said, "Did you leave something behind?"

"No." Susumu replied in a grim tone, "I came home for lunch. Now make me something."

Matt took a few steps toward the kitchen but stopped, and looked back at the older man. "What would you like to eat, sir?"

"JUST MAKE ME SOMETHING!" snapped Susumu, "I DON'T CARE!"

"Yes sir."

As Matt was cooking, Susumu tapped his fingers impatiently against the table, his resentment towards Matt steadily rising. Once the meal was ready, Matt gave it to Susumu who snatched out of the android's hands and began eating it in a rather greedy manner.

"Is there a real reason that you're here, Mr. Kamiya?" Matt asked.

Susumu stopped eating. "Yes," he answered, setting down his plate, "there is a real reason why I'm here. And it's you."

"Me, sir?"

"You were built to serve as a caregiver for my wife," Susumu stated, "When my children defended you that day, I had hoped that Yuuko would improve and stayed with us longer…but she didn't."

He narrowed his eyes at Matt into a twisted glare.

"You caused that."

"Mr. Kamiya," the blonde servant stated, "I wasn't programmed to commit murder."

"But you **were **programmed to take care of her. And that was an **order**." Susumu confirmed. "Is that correct?"

Matt turned his gaze away from his owner. "Yes sir, I was."

"It's your fault that Yuuko died!" Susumu shouted, "You were supposed to provide for her but she died anyway! You're the one responsible for her death, you're the culprit!"

He grabbed Matt by the sweater vest and pulled the robot close to his face, his black eyes seething with rage as he stared into Matt's calm blue eyes.

"Now you listen very carefully, Matt," Susumu warned, "You served your purpose now that my wife is dead and I want you to **get out**."

"What about your children?" the cyborg questioned, "Don't they need my help with their studies?"

"My children don't need you anymore."

Susumu gave Matt a hard shove backwards as he released his grip. Matt stumbled slightly before regaining balance.

"Get out." Susumu coldly repeated, pointing towards the apartment's opened door. "And if you **ever** come back, you won't be fit for anything but the **scrapheap**."

Matt briefly looked at Susumu's hateful expression before turning away again, hanging his head in silence.

As he walked past the older man, he said,

"Yes, Mr. Kamiya, I will leave."

…

The final school bell rang as students poured out of the building at a great pace. Kari, along with Davis and T.K., trailed behind, more focused on their test grades while her older brother caught up with them making their way through the main doors.

"Boy," Davis exclaimed, double-checking the grade on his paper, "I can't believe that I actually passed that math test with a C!"

Kari chuckled, "Oh Davis, it wasn't that bad. What did you make, T.K.?"

"I made a B-." replied the blonde, "I wish that I could've done better though."

"Yeah," added Davis, "Thanks to that robot-butler of yours, Kari, you and Tai keep getting straight As!"

"I wouldn't go that far," said Tai. "Kari and I don't completely rely on Matt when it comes to stuff like that."

T.K. took a brief glimpse at his watch.

"I better head on home, you guys," he said, "My mom's relatives are coming for a visit and I need to help her get things ready when they come. See you later."

As Davis watched the younger boy fade into the sea of people, his eyes caught another familiar sight.

"Hey Kari," he said, pointing, "Isn't that your robot?"

Kari and her brother stopped short and looked out towards where Davis was pointing to and caught a glimpse of golden blonde hair among all of the people passing by. However, Matt stood silently in place.

Puzzled by the android's behavior, the three quickly went through crowd until they had reached the domestic robot.

"Matt, what are you doing out here?" Kari asked.

While they waited for an answer, Davis heard a whistle blowing down at the soccer field nearby.

He gasped in sudden realization, "I forgot that soccer practice was today!"

The goggle head hastily apologized to the others and ran as fast as he could to the field.

"Well Matt," Tai started, "Why are you here? Is something wrong?"

"Your father believes that my presence is harmful and has ordered me to leave." Matt replied. "He also believes that I am responsible for your mother's death."

Tai couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Dad…seriously thinks that…?" he said, completely flabbergasted, "But Matt, it wasn't your fault; Mom was in the final stages of cancer when she died!"

"Tai's right, Matt," agreed Kari with a nod, "You must come back home with us."

The cyborg averted his gaze. "I can't."

"Why not?" Tai questioned, unconvinced by the robot's response.

Matt was silent.

And the conversation was ended.

…

Following a few unsuccessful attempts to make Matt explain why, Tai and Kari reluctantly left the cyborg behind as they headed back to their apartment home.

"Tai, how can we tell Dad that Matt didn't do it?"

"I don't know, Kari," Tai said, "but we'll think of something."

Upon entering the now empty apartment, a sudden thought popped in Kari's head.

"Tai," she said, "when Mom was first hospitalized for cancer, didn't she mention to us that she had it before?"

The older boy's eyes widened.

"You're right, Kari!" he exclaimed, "Mom did say that! And if she was first diagnosed then, maybe we could find medical records of her treatment!"

Kari's face beamed with hope as they continued on with their plan.

"I see! If we show Dad the records, then maybe he would understand!"

Later that evening, while they were eating supper, Susumu returned home in an unusually brighter mood than normal.

"I'm home, kids!"

"Hi Dad."

After setting his belongings aside, Susumu joined them in the kitchen to eat. Tai and Kari abruptly stopped and watched their father. They knew too well the reason behind his cheerfulness but were hesitant about bringing up the reason for it.

Then Susumu broke the growing silence.

"You two are probably wondering where Matt is?"

-To be continued…


	7. Justified

Author's Note: I'm so sorry that these updates are taking so long. I've been so overwhelmed with school lately but hopefully, this chapter makes up for the wait and I give two, big "Thank yous" go out to crestoflight3 and Aveza for your reviews!

**Circuits**

_Justified_

Tai and Kari nearly choked on their breath when they heard those words leave their father's lips. Already, the worst possible thought was simmering in their minds:

_Did Dad do away with Matt? _

"Y-yeah, Dad," Tai answered, masking his nervousness, "Kari and I were wondering…"

"He wasn't here when we came home," Kari quickly added, "Did something happen?"

"Matt left." Susumu replied.

Though they knew, both of the Kamiya siblings kept silent, in fear of revealing what Matt had told them.

"Why did he leave?" asked Kari.

Susumu's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

"He wasn't needed here anymore. It's as simple as that."

Tai found himself shaking with rage, hearing those words.

_Matt did nothing wrong…_ he thought, watching his father's cheerful expression with disgust, _and you know it!_

Clutching the table, Tai began to tighten his grip, trying to suppress his anger but Susumu took notice of his son's abrupt change in behavior.

"Son, what's wrong?"

Tai didn't answer.

Instead, he bent his head down, biting hard on his lips to keep himself from lashing out at Susumu for his lack of concern regarding Matt.

Kari silently watched her brother with growing worry; she felt herself becoming tense and could practically feel the angry aura coming off of him as her eyes stayed locked on his trembling form. Though she understood why Tai was angry, both of them could not give away what they already knew from Matt.

As she watched Susumu slowly extend a hand towards his eldest son, Kari knew that Tai's rage couldn't be held back any longer.

Just as their father's fingers were reaching towards Tai's clenched fist, Kari broke her silence.

"I did well on my math test today!" she blurted out.

Both father and son were caught off guard by her sudden outburst but it managed to break through Tai's silent fury.

"Umm…good job, Kari," praised Susumu, taken aback by her random sentence.

He then turned back to Tai. "Was something bothering you earlier, Son?"

"N-No!" Tai replied hastily, "I-it was nothing! I'm f-fine!"

"Are you sure?"

"Really!"

Susumu looked at both of his children strangely.

At that moment, both Tai and Kari asked if they could leave the table to go and finish their homework, and with a nod, Susumu let them and went back to finishing his dinner.

_What are they so nervous about? _He wondered, _They should be happy now that the __**thing**__ is gone and yet they're not… I know that they were growing attached to it but…_

_Are they hiding something?_

…

"You're a lifesaver, Kari." Tai sighed, closing to door of her room behind him.

"I-I almost…I was just so angry…I-"

"It's okay, Tai," Kari replied softly, "It's okay."

"Still," the older boy said, relaxing a bit, "I couldn't get over how callous Dad was when he was talking about Matt."

"Yes," Kari added, "How could Dad be so heartless?"

"It's just like Matt told us," Tai answered, "Dad believes that he killed Mom."

Kari paused, then her eyes widened. "Tai…"

"What?"

"I really…don't think that Dad has destroyed Matt…"

Tai stared at the short-haired girl, confused.

"Huh? Kari, are you sure? He seemed pretty boastful about it when he came home today."

But Kari stayed firm with her intuition.

"Matt's still out there," she stated, "unharmed."

Tai's confusion faded, seeing her confidence not wavering.

"You haven't been wrong yet, Kari," he said, smiling proudly at his younger sister's determination.

"We'll get him back."

Later during the night, the Kamiya siblings began researching online for hospitals that had information regarding their mother's first outbreak of cancer. They were able to pinpoint records of their mother's treatments to a hospital that was not far from the Odaiba district as well as being a former patient to one of the doctors who worked there.

"Tai, isn't that hospital where Joe's dad works at?" Kari asked.

Tai's chocolate brown eyes widened with excitement.

"It is!" he declared, "Maybe Joe's dad might know the doctor who treated Mom!"

Kari felt her heart leap in her chest. After writing down the information and continuing their plan for tomorrow, she was almost too happy to fall asleep. Until, she finally dozed with smile on her face.

….

The next day afterschool, Tai and Kari paid a visit to Joe's apartment home and showed him the doctor's name.

"That's my Dad's old coworker!" Joe exclaimed with surprise.

"Does he still work over there?" asked Tai, eagerly.

The blue-haired teen nodded, "Yeah, I think that I might be able to get a copy of your mom's records for you."

True to his word, the Bearer of Reliability gave the pair a copy of their late mother's medical records the following day.

Tai and Kari weren't able to thank Joe enough for his cooperation.

Things were finally going their way after all.

Just as they were getting everything ready, something in their parents' bedroom caught Kari's eye. Curiously, she stepped into the room, and there lying near the bed was an old, faded book. Skimming through the yellowed pages, her eyes widened.

"Tai, look what I've found!" she called.

The bushy-haired teen raced into the room, joining his sister.

"Kari, what is it?" the older boy asked.

"This…" she started, "this is…Mom's diary when she was in high school!"

She quickly turned several pages and read several crucial entries aloud to him:

"'April 3rd, 1982, I've been feeling sick for a couple of days but I don't know why. Mom's scheduled an appointment for me a few days from now, hoping that the doctor could find out the problem.

"'April 18th, 1982, My results came back, I'm sick, already in the first stage of cancer. I couldn't believe it…even now as I'm writing…Mom pleaded with the doctor to check again, hoping that he was wrong but her efforts were in vain…The result was always the same and according to the doctor, my chemotherapy treatments will begin very soon.

"'June 23rd, 1982, I...I'm so tired…and chemotherapy…is doing more…harm…than good…

Kari paused, brushing a stray tear from her eye as she read one more page.

"'October 9th, 1983, I'm finally free! My cancer has gone into remission! I've never been so happy in my life!'"

"This is it!" The Bearer of Courage cried, "This is exactly what we need! Dad would have to believe us once he reads this!"

"Once I read what?"

The siblings gasped as they turned and found themselves facing their father.

"I've been suspecting that you two have been keeping something from me."

"Well, Dad," Tai began, "There's something that Kari and I want to talk to you about."

"What?" Susumu asked.

Kari joined in. "Well, it's about Mom's cancer."

Before Susumu could speak, Tai spoke up again.

"When Mom was diagnosed with cancer, she said that this wasn't her first battle against the disease. And these records prove it."

After handing the items to their father, Tai and Kari watched in silence, nearly holding their breath as Susumu began to read. For at least five minutes, the Kamiya siblings prepared themselves for a response from Susumu.

Then he stopped. Tears were running down his face.

"Yuuko…wasn't lying…" he whispered, "And neither…was Matt…"

Slowly, Susumu turned his watery gaze towards his children. Since they bought Matt, Tai and Kari had never doubted nor questioned the sincerity of Matt's words and actions. And now, the work that they had put together had justified the robot's innocence.

_I was looking for somebody to blame when she died! But I didn't realize that I was angry at myself for failing her as a husband unable to provide and care for her…_

He took in a deep breath.

"Kids," he said, softly, "Matt didn't leave on his own. I was so blinded by grief and anger that I sent him away."

Susumu lowered his head in shame.

"And I threatened to destroy him if he ever returned."

Kari gave a small gasp and felt Tai's grip on her shoulder tighten. Now they knew why Matt refused to say more after revealing his abrupt dismissal.

"Dad, we've got to go and find Matt!" Tai cried, "He needs to come home!"

"But where could he have gone, Son?" Susumu questioned glumly, "He could be anywhere…"

-To be continued…


	8. Atone

Author's Note: Ugh…this summer has not been working out for me as I had hoped. My family has been busy and I apologize for the lag in updating but I hope that this chapter makes up for it. Also, I thank crestoflight3 and Aveza for their reviews.

**Circuits**

_Atone_

"We can start searching at the factory where we first bought Matt!" Tai stated, "It's worth a shot."

After nodding in agreement with Tai's plan, the family immediately ran out of the apartment to begin their search. But once they reached their destination and spoke with the secretary, she revealed that Matt had not been seen since his shipment to the Kamiya home.

This confirmation did not give them any comfort.

But, they weren't planning on giving up.

…

While Susumu searched the city by car, Tai and Kari called up their friends and covered the rest of the Odaiba district on foot by splitting into groups. Joe and his father searched the hospitals, Yolei and Cody checked the schools along with the land area surrounding them, Izzy, Sora, and their parents drove throughout the Tokyo district while Davis, T.K. and Ken scoured through Ken's hometown as well as Highton View Terrace.

Meanwhile, Tai and Kari searched through the crowds, calling for Matt not caring whether or not people were giving them strange stares. None of it mattered, and now, there was a much deeper motive for Matt's safe return.

As the search for the missing robot continued, precious minutes had quickly ticked away into desperate hours.

But nothing turned up.

Nothing at all.

Even with Tai and Kari's encouraging phone messages to keep looking were quickly becoming nothing but false hope.

After reluctantly agreeing to the other Digidestined to try looking again tomorrow, the Kamiya siblings suddenly spotted someone with shoulder-length blonde hair, heading towards a crossing zone.

"Matt?"

Without warning, both brother and sister made their way through the crowd, their eyes fixated on him, getting closer and closer until they were right behind him.

"Oh, Matt, we've finally found you," Tai exclaimed, half-heartedly putting his hand on the blonde's shoulder, "We-"

His sentence was severed as Tai felt his face fall.

The stranger's eyes were a deep green and his face had a harder appearance in contrast to Matt.

"Who's Matt?!" the teen asked very rudely. He then jerked his shoulder away from Tai's hand and shoved past Kari as he started walking away.

"Go bug someone else!" he said over his shoulder.

Then, a sudden drop of rain fell from the sky and within minutes, a cascade of rain poured down onto the city.

Tai and Kari stood transfixed, watching as people began to seek shelter from the rain and taking cover with whatever they could shield themselves with.

Just then, their father's car drove up next to the siblings and the two entered the vehicle.

…

The silence weighed heavily as the drive home continued.

Stopping at a red light, Susumu turned and took a brief glimpse at his children. They were soaked through their clothing, and their exhausted eyes seemed to be focused on the rain splattering against the glass windows. Neither one had spoken about any possible leads of Matt's whereabouts, nor their friends' efforts to finding the android but the silence alone was enough to tell the man that they had found nothing.

Susumu sighed as he resumed driving.

The guilt had been bearing down hard on his heart. His selfishness had caused grief to his two children, just as they were beginning to recover from the loss of their mother.

And now, Tai and Kari were back to the broken states they were in when she passed away.

_If only I had been more appreciative towards Matt when he cared for Yuuko, _Susumu thought regretfully, _but I was angry at Tai and Kari for buying him and took it out on Matt._

A crash of thunder boomed across the sky, jolting Susumu out of his remorse. The deafening noise was soon followed by a flash of lightning with the wind sending the rain down in blinding sheets.

Susumu struggled to keep the rain from obscuring windshield, but he could hardly make out the headlights of the car, as well as the others traveling down the road. In addition, the bad weather was increasing the possibility of hydroplaning.

Just then, a large pickup truck that was in front of them began to swerve in and out of the lane. The other drivers were struggling to give the truck enough space to reenter the highway but were at the risk of ramming into someone else's car in the process.

Once it seemed that the truck driver had regained control of the wheel, Susumu pulled up.

Kari screamed in horror, clutching her brother as they watched the back end of the truck slide towards the empty passenger seat of the car.

Susumu gave the wheel a sharp turn into another lane, narrowly escaping a straight-on collision with the truck but the person behind him wasn't so lucky.

The car rammed straight into the back of the truck. The sounds of crunching metal and shattering glass filled the air as both vehicles skidded across the road.

As other drivers hit their brakes to avoid creating another collision, the rain had calmed down enough for Susumu to find another safe path to drive down to avoid traffic.

"Tai, Kari, are you both alright?" he asked.

"We're fine, Dad," Tai answered shakily, holding his younger sister protectively in his arms, "I thought for sure that we were…but…those people…"

"I know, Son," Susumu replied grimly. "But now, I'm afraid that it'll take a little bit longer to get home."

With a sigh, Kari turned and looked out her window. There were no cars traveling in their direction and in the bleak darkness, she saw a beach nearby. She felt a chill run through her, recalling her dreams of the Dark Ocean that had once threatened to swallow her up into its waves if it wasn't for the loyalty of her friends.

Then, something caught her eye.

There, despite the darkness, the Bearer of Light managed to make out an outline of a figure, watching the tides gaining power from the blowing gale.

"S-stop…"

Tai blinked. "Huh? What did you say, Kari?"

"Stop the car."

"Kari, I don't-"

"DADDY! STOP THE CAR!"

Hearing his daughter's desperation, Susumu slammed on his brakes. Once the car stopped, he turned around and gave her an exasperated look.

"Why did you-"

"T-that's Matt! He's out there!" Kari cried, frantically unfastening her seatbelt, "We need to let him know we want him back!"

"Wait a minute, kids," Susumu said firmly, "Let me talk to him."

"B-but…you…"

"I know, and I need to atone for it."

Slowly, Susumu put on his raincoat, stepped out of the car and began making his way towards Matt.

Matt turned around and saw the man who had cruelly dismissed his services, standing over him. He took a step back, remembering Susumu's earlier threat, but then the android looked up at his former owner and gazed into his eyes.

Only this time, his dark eyes were not filled with malice but with concern.

"Mr. Kamiya," the artificial servant said, his voice barely audible against the wind, "Why? You said that I was no longer considered necessary to your family."

"Matt…I…I was wrong," Susumu began, "After Yuuko died, I was looking for someone else to blame and in my grief-stricken rage, I blamed you for her death."

"And after I sent you away, both my son and daughter had revealed the truth of my wife's cancer."

The older man smiled sadly, "They were always rather fond of you, Matt, and they worked hard to clear your name. Even Yuuko treated you kindly in her final days but I never gave you a chance."

He took in a choked sigh and gently put his arms around Matt, resting his chin on the robot's shoulder.

"I'm…so sorry that I accused you!" Susumu apologized, as tears squeezed their way out from under his shut eyelids, "You didn't deserve any of the treatment that I gave you! And now, I realize that I need to move on, to live on, because that's what Yuuko wanted…So, please…please forgive me!"

He clutched the android tighter in his hold as he began to cry.

As he sobbed, he felt a pair of hands steadily wrapping around his back.

"I forgive you, sir."

Susumu's eyes opened in absolute surprise. He peered into Matt's face, at first completely baffled by the robot's answer.

Then, he smiled.

After he released Matt from his embrace, Susumu took off his jacket and gently draped it on Matt's shoulders, pulling the hood over the android's wet golden locks.

"Thank you."

From the car, Tai and Kari waited in silence for their father, hoping that it really was Matt out there. Still, the doubts were seeping through them and the anticipation made waiting seem even longer. The sounds of footsteps came to their ears and as they grew louder, the siblings saw their father, with Matt by his side.

They leapt from the car and ran towards the pair, their arms instantly clasping around the blonde servant as they cried tears of joy.

"Oh, Matt," Kari cried, "We were so afraid that we had lost you!"

"But we didn't quit!" added Tai, "Not even for a second!"

Kari suddenly opened her tear rimmed eyes once she felt the dampness of Matt's vest against her skin.

"Matt, you're completely drenched!"

"It's alright," Matt explained, "My body is covered with a special coating that prevents water from seeping through."

"Well, it looks like the rain's not going to stop soon," Tai pointed out, "We better head on back to the car!"

…

After finally arriving back at the apartment, the Kamiyas quickly dressed into dry clothes while Tai found a pair of navy blue pajamas for Matt to wear in the place of his uniform.

Later during the night, as Matt sat quietly in the living room, the artificial servant was greeted by Kari.

"Is something wrong, Miss Kari?"

"No, nothing's wrong," she said, "I'm just relieved, that's all."

"Relieved?" Matt repeated, "In what way?"

"That you're here," the young girl replied, "With us."

Then, Kari smiled as she turned to leave, "Goodnight Matt, and welcome home."

Alone in the dark room, he gave a brief sigh.

"Home."

-To be continued…


End file.
